How does theatre happen? Dramatically.

educational outreach


When theatre people go to work,
they go to play!

The Play's the Thing

23 through 27 July 2007

The Riverrun Theatre Company, the professional theatre company of Madison, Indiana, presents The Play's the Thing, a workshop on creativity and comprehension, teaching students of all ages how to craft and perform a play from scratch.

There will be two workshops, one for elementary age students and one for middle to high school students, each running from Monday, July 23 through Friday, July 27. They are tentatively scheduled for the Eggleston School Building, 419 East Street, in downtown Madison. The backup location is Parker Auditorium on the campus of Hanover College.

Students will learn about every aspect of putting on a theatre production, from writing the script to creating the sets and costumes to directing and presenting a performance. Both workshops will end with performances for family and friends. The middle and high school workshop will culminate in a performance of the play Voices from the High School.

What do children need to know? Look behind the curtain at the world of the theatre and find out why we call our work play. As an actor, a director, a writer, your only limits are the limits of your imagination.

What do parents need to know? This workshop acts as a good introduction to the world and work of the theatre, promoting literacy and reading comprehension in the process. Through interactivity and imaginative play, students can unlock their imaginations and soar.

Tickets and Information

23 through 27 July 2007
Elementary Workshop / 8.30 am till 9.30 am
High School Workshop / 10.00 am till 12.00 pm

The Elementary Workshop is for children in grades 3 through 6, running from 8:30 am until approximately 9:30 am each day, costing $35 per student.

The High School Workshop is for middle and high school students, and it will run from 10:00 am until noon each day, costing $50 per student.

For reservations, please call 812-496-0201.

To pay online, please visit our Tickets page.

The Staff

Lindsay Bullock

Lindsay is Riverrun's director of education. She taught at the National High School Institute's theatre program held at Northwestern University, and taught a smaller scale version of this workshop in Madison two seasons ago. She has also designed and taught a theatre-based program for preschool children. She has worked with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, designing and teaching educational programs. She performed onstage with Riverrun Theatre in RiverWords and Under Milk Wood. She most recently played a variety of characters in The Rough Guide to the Underworld. She also directed last season's production of Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol. She will be appearing onstage in the first production of Riverrun's 2007-2008 season.


The original The Play's the Thing workshops were presented free of charge in March 2005, thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Arts Council of Southern Indiana and the Cinergy Foundation, with additional support from our partners at the Literacy Site and the Madison Coffee and Tea Co. We thank them for their continued support.

If you would like information on booking this or other educational programs for your school, please contact our director of education, Lindsay Bullock.